Ahi Tacos

15062008

Ahhh….ahi….my summer friend! I could eat ice cold ahi with wasabi & soy sauce anywhere, anytime. And tonight I promised The Hubster (beloved of my life) Ahi Tacos. He may not be a biological father, but he’s a Dad and get’s “the other guy’s” phone call on the appointed day (he rates…Mom didn’t get a call on her appointed day – go figure). Our needs are few…a good grade of ahi, cracked pepper (color of your choice, we use a 4 blend), and any dressing you choose. Ours is 3 Tbs. mayo, 1-2 Tbs. toasted sesame oil, 1 tsp. soy and about the same amount of Siracha, and another 2-3 Tbs. of peanut or other salad oil. Whisk, whisk, whisk, emulsify…. What you want is a smoky flavored, creamy sauce with a hearty nip – not so much a bite as a nip. Kind of a latent….gotcha! You’ll also want some nice tasty greens…green onions, cilantro, frisee, alfalfa sprouts…anything with a nice green crunch. Oh wait…the “taco” shell…we like flat breads…and prefer the mexican gordita type flour tortillas. I’ve used Naan, and it works, just has a slightly different flavor.

Heat a nonstick skillet to high…you want to sear the ahi almost immediately. We aren’t cooking it as much as toasting the peppercorns for their flavor. So, pepper the ahi liberally on both sides. Pop it into the skillet and sear it quickly; turn and sear the other side, then remove it from the pan. Slice in 1/8 inch slices.

Heat the flat bread just until it’s nicely pliable; smear a spoonful of the dressing down the center; pile on the thinly sliced ahi, add veggies, drizzle on some extra dressing and you’re good to go! Here’s what the end result looks like…